


Check Yes, Juliet

by pinkfrostedsprinkleddoughnuts



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 10:19:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7636405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkfrostedsprinkleddoughnuts/pseuds/pinkfrostedsprinkleddoughnuts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan and Phil meet during an audition for Romeo and Juliet, and Phil’s unwavering belief in the romance of the play changes Dan’s perspective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Check Yes, Juliet

   Dan’s usually late, but this time it isn’t his fault, he swears. His Uni lecturer droned on far past the end of the lecture, and now he was sprinting across the University of Manchester campus to try and make his audition on time.

   He bursts through the doors dramatically, making all the people in the waiting room stare at him. Dan blushes, trying to smooth down his curls which had sprung up from running for ten minutes, and makes his way over to the table at the side of the room. He smiles sheepishly as the girl behind the table. 

   “Hi, uh, sorry I’m late but my lecture –” 

   “Name?” She cuts him off, not even bothering to glance up from her phone to look at him. 

   “Uh, Dan Howell.” Dan’s face turns even redder. He’s sure everyone in the waiting room is staring at the back of his head right now. 

   The girl’s eyes flicker up to the piece of paper on the table, and then back down to her phone. “You missed your audition time,” she states coolly. 

    _Fuck_. “Look, I’m sorry, but my lecture ran really late and I couldn’t leave and I ran all the way here from the _south end of campus_ and I have all my stuff prepared already –” 

   “Sit down, Howell,” she sighs. “Save the drama for your audition. We can fit you in after the last person has auditioned, but you might be waiting a while.” 

   “Thank you so much,” Dan says, and turns around to find a seat. Thirty pairs of eyes suddenly shift away from him. So they _had_ been staring. He probably doesn’t look like much competition right now, late and flustered. 

   It’s a pretty small room crowded with a large amount of people, so Dan finds the only free seat he can – between a girl nervously reciting her lines over and over, and a guy who seems to be calmly doing some sort of homework on his lap. Once he’s comfortably sat down, and he has caught his breath (which took him an uncomfortably long time), Dan reaches into his backpack and brings out the two monologues he has been practicing for the past two weeks. He still isn’t sure which one to perform during the audition. One is from the play he’s auditioning for, _Romeo and Juliet_ , and the other is from _Othello_. Both Shakespearian tragedies. 

   He has a love for the tragedies. The comedies can be too predictable; the Histories too boring.

   Dan decides to practice the monologues again, since he probably has an hour or so before his audition. At least he still gets to perform, they could have just kicked him out. 

   “ _Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, Profaners of this neighbourhood-stainèd steel!_ –” 

   “Hi.” 

   Dan turns to find the guy sitting beside him, apparently now done with his homework, looking at him expectantly. 

   “I’m Phil. And you’re...?” 

   “I _was_ in the middle of practicing the monologue for my audition,” Dan grumbles. He hates to be interrupted while performing – even if it was just practicing mostly in his head and some muttering under his breath. 

   “Sorry,” Phil replies, not looking sorry at all. “Which monologue are you doing?” 

   Dan lets out a sigh, and figures maybe if he talks to this guy for a little while, eventually Phil will get bored and leave him alone. Dan sets down the book in front of him and looks at Phil for the first time. 

    _Shit, he’s hot_. 

   There’s something about his triceratops jumper, glasses, and bright blue eyes that look out of place, and at the same time, look like they fit into a casting audition perfectly. Dan’s face starts to heat up again. He gulps. 

   “I haven’t really chosen yet,” he says. 

   “But your audition is in a few hours,” Phil frowns in confusion. 

   “Yeah, I know,” Dan shrugs. “I’m caught between the Prince’s first monologue in _Romeo and Juliet_ , or Othello’s monologue in Act 1, Scene 3.” 

   “Those are both kind of _dry_ , aren’t they?” Phil says, wrinkling his nose at Dan’s suggestions. 

   “ _Dry_? They’re Shakespeare!” Dan’s jaw drops. 

   “Yeah, but you’re auditioning for the best love story ever told and you’re doing two very un-romantic speeches.”

   “I’m auditioning for the part of the Prince!” Dan protests. “He’s not a romantic lead!” 

   “Then do the speech for the Prince?” Phil blinks his baby blue eyes behind his glasses, like that’s a really obvious choice. 

   “No, that’s too predictable,” Dan shakes his head.

   “Well the _Othello_ speech certainly doesn’t belong here,” Phil says.

   “What are you reading, then?” Dan sneers, a little bit fed up with this guy’s know-it-all attitude. 

   “Duh! Romeo’s soliloquy from Act 1, Scene 5,” Phil smiles. “It’s one of the most romantic.” 

   “ _Pfft_ ,” Dan rolls his eyes. “Come on, you don’t actually find _Romeo and Juliet_ romantic, do you?”

   “It’s basically the greatest love story of all time!” Phil exclaims. 

   “It’s a story about two teenagers whose infatuation ultimately kills five people and rips a town apart!” Dan counters. 

   “Yeah, but there are some pretty romantic lines in there,” Phil laughs. 

   “That’s unbelievable,” Dan shakes his head. “I can’t believe you’re one of the uneducated peasants that actually thinks _Romeo and Juliet_ is a love story.” 

   “I can’t believe you just called me a peasant,” Phil raises an eyebrow. 

   “Oh, uh. Sorry,” Dan says, looking away from Phil. Of course he would accidentally call a super-hot theatre guy a peasant. Dan, pull yourself together. 

   Phil glances around the room. There are only a few people left, none of them sitting close to him or Dan and all immersed in last-minute run-throughs of their lines. “What did you say your name was?” Phil asks. 

   “Dan,” Dan says, turning to meet Phil’s eyes again. At least he hasn’t offended Phil. 

   Phil’s blue eyes are fixated solely on Dan’s brown ones. 

   “Um. Why are you staring at me?” Dan leans back slightly. 

   “ _O, he doth teach the torches to burn bright!_ –” Phil begins, quietly. 

   “What? _He_?” 

   “ _– It seems he hangs upon the cheek of night_

_Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear;_

_Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! –_ ” 

   “Phil oh my god people are looking please shut up.” 

   “ _– So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,_

_As yonder student o’er his fellows shows._

_The measure done, I’ll watch his place of stand,_

_And, touching his, make blessed my rude hand._

_Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!_

_For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night._ ” 

   When Phil’s done, he’s grinning and Dan is bright red. 

   “Is that – um – your soliloquy for the audition?” Dan asks. 

   “Nope,” Phil smirks. “Just trying to show you how romantic _Romeo and Juliet_ can be.” 

   “It’s not –” 

   “You’re blushing!” Phil exclaims. Dan glares at him. 

   He takes a moment to collect his thoughts, and then responds with Juliet’s words: “ _O serpent heart hid with a flowering face!_

_Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?_

_Beautiful tyrant! Fiend angelical!_

_Dove-feathered raven, wolvish-ravening lamb!_

_Despisèd substance of divinest show,_

_Just opposite to what thou justly seem’st_... 

   See? It’s not romantic! Why are you still smiling!?”

   “You basically just called me really hot,” Phil smiles.

   “Um, no, Phil, I was saying that you’re a horrible person,” Dan retaliates. 

   “You said I was beautiful.” 

   “A beautiful _tyrant_.” 

   “You described me as _angelical_ ,” Phil laughs, clearly enjoying this. 

   Dan tries to hide his smile. “I hate you,” Dan mumbles, crossing his arms and slouching down in his chair. 

   “ _Here’s much to do with hate but more with love_ ,” Phil replies. Phil’s challenging him. 

   But of course Dan knows this scene, he knows it better than anyone. “ _Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate,_

_O any thing of nothing first create!_

_O heavy lightness, serious vanity,_

_Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!_

_Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,_

_Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!_

_This love feel I, that feel no love in this._ ” 

   Phil pauses, speechless for a moment. 

   “Phil?” 

   “I think you’ve found your audition speech,” Phil says. “That was passionate. You know. Even if it wasn’t exactly romantic.” 

   “Shut up,” Dan mumbles. “Besides, it’s not long enough.” 

   “Do the whole scene,” Phil says. “I’ll be your Benvolio.” 

   “Don’t you have your own part to perform?” Dan asks, surprised that a stranger would offer to do this for him. 

   “I always have time to help a friend out,” Phil says, winking. 

   “But I’m auditioning as the _Prince_ ,” Dan says.

   “I think you make a better Romeo,” Phil shrugs. 

   “Oh, _please_.” 

   “No, I’m serious! You have the whole brooding, depressed-by-love thing going on.”

   “I’m not sure how to feel about that,” Dan chuckles. “You suit Romeo better than the Prince. The Prince has no connection with love, Romeo hates it and then loves it.” 

   “I don’t love love.” 

   “You haven’t met the right person yet!” 

   Dan smiles. “Who are you auditioning for, anyway?” 

   “Benvolio.” 

   “Really? You seem a much better Romeo than me. You’re the one who loves love,” Dan teases. 

   “Nah, I’m more of a sidekick than the hero,” Phil says. 

   “Well I don’t know... Romeo and Juliet _still_ doesn’t seem that romantic to me. And if I don’t believe in the romance, how can I possibly play Romeo?” 

   “I’ll convince you of the romance,” Phil grins, his eyes lighting up. He glances around, making sure they’re the only two left in the room – aside from the girl sitting at the table, who isn’t aware of anything right now – and grabs Dan’s hand, pulling him up from the chair. 

   “Phil? What are you doing?” 

   “ _If I profane with my unworthiest hand_

_This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:_

_My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand_

_To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss._ ” 

   “Come on, man,” Dan blushes. “That is so cheesy.” 

   Phil stares up at Dan, waiting for his response. 

   Dan sighs. “ _Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,_

_Which mannerly devotion shows in this,_

_For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch,_

_And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss._ ” 

   Phil slides his hand around Dan’s waist and places his other hand in Dan’s, so now they’re dancing around the room, trying hard not to bump into any chairs. 

   “ _Have saints not lips, and holy palmers too?_ ” 

   “ _Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer._ ” 

   “ _O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do._

_They pray; grant tho, lest faith turn to despair._ ” 

   “ _Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake._ ”

   “ _Then move not, while my prayer’s effect I take._ ” 

   Dan knows this is the part when Phil is supposed to kiss him, but he stays still. 

   “What are you waiting for?” Dan asks, slightly breathless. 

   “For you to admit you find this romantic,” Phil smirks. 

   “Do you want me to _say_ it?” 

   “Not necessarily, I can think of _other_ ways...” 

   Dan laughs and, despite his brain telling him how crazy this is, frees his hands from Phil’s. He slowly runs them through Phil’s soft black hair, and is smiling uncontrollably even before their lips meet. 

   Phil _does not_ kiss by the book, he kisses Dan like this is the first and last kiss he’ll ever have – soft, romantic, and yet desperate, intense. 

   “ _Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged,_ ” Phil continues the scene perfectly as they part.

   “Oh, shut up, I can’t remember the next line,” Dan says, grabbing Phil’s jumper and pulling him back up to meet Dan’s lips. They only stop when they hear a very loud coughing noise from within the room. 

   “Holy shit,” the girl at the check-in table is no longer staring at her phone. “I think you guys might be able to convince the casting director to make Juliet a guy.” 

   “Which one of us is which?” Phil laughs.

   “You’re obviously Romeo,” Dan says. “Coming in here and convincing me to believe in this theatrical romance.” 

   “So you’ll be my Juliet?” 

   “After this, I don’t think I could be anything else.”

**Author's Note:**

> shakespeare is the coolest


End file.
